Survival
by wolf of infinity
Summary: It only took a car speeding at red light, a crash... and she was gone... Prologue to "In sickness and in health", though can be read independently. My take on how Arthur came to raise Alfred on his own. Short one-shot, AU.


_God, I really don't have time to write... But I still managed to do this short one-shot for ya'll... (You should feel privileged!) Just kiddin', but really... I hope you'll enjoy this little thing! It's somewhat of a prologue to my other fic, "In sickness and in health", where Arthur is raising little Alfred. This fic sort of explains how he came to raise the boy on his own :3 It's sad and a bit angsty, but also sweet... I hope ^_^''_

_It is __**AU**__, mind you, and I haven't given a name or specific identity for Alfred's mother, leaving that bit up to your imagination ^^_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia – Axis Powers or any of its characters._

oOo

Green eyes gazed at the stone standing before him, clad in a light layer of snow that had yet to melt. Reading the words that were engraved on it over and over, even if they had been cut into his heart and memory forever, he heaved a shuddering sigh, trying desperately to calm down. He was painfully aware of the small hiccups next to him, his eyes moving almost hesitantly to rest on the young boy standing beside him.

It was obvious that Alfred was trying his best to be a brave, big boy, but the look in the boy's bright blue eyes practically shattered Arthur's already thoroughly broken heart. The fact that his eyes were so much like _hers_ was hard enough, but seeing how lost and scared the boy was feeling was... Arthur looked back at the grave, knowing that if the boy met his eyes, he'd break down.

Of course Alfred was feeling lost and scared; his mother, the only relative he had, had suddenly been killed in a car accident. Arthur knew what it was like to lose a parent at an early age, and that's why he felt all the more sympathy for him.

He pushed back the urge to fall to his knees and sob, instead reaching down and putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. It had been months since the incident, and even if the pain and the loss was far from healed, reality had caught up with them yet again, and he had somehow come to terms with the situation, despite his own fears. Alfred was now his responsibility.

The thought terrified him. When he married her only a bit over half a year ago, and thus becoming a part of the little family consisting of her and her son, Alfred, he had no idea that it would all be destroyed in a matter of moments. It only took a car speeding at red light, a crash... and she was gone.

Arthur sucked in a sharp breath of cold November-air, recalling the phone call he'd received over and over in his head, despite having tried many times not to think about it.

"A-Arthur...?" came a small voice next to him, and he felt a small fist gripping at his sweater. It brought him back to reality and he looked to see that tears were rolling down the boy's cheeks in streams.

"Ah... I'm sorry," he said, trying to wipe his tears away with the sleeve of his sweater, hands quivering violently. "I just..." he shook his head slowly, feeling for the umpteenth time the painful reality of the situation. God, he was supposed to be the strong one – someone Alfred could look to for comfort and support. He couldn't listen to the tiny voice in his mind that said that he had every bloody right to be weeping like a baby, as he'd just lost the love of his life; the one he was going to spend his life with, grow old with...

A sob escaped his lips and he sank to his knees in front of the grave, which was decorated with fresh flowers in various colours and candle lights. Looking up, he saw Alfred breaking into small sobs too, and held his arms out in a silent invitation. It took only a second for the boy to climb into his arms, crying into his chest as Arthur held him close.

He wasn't sure how long they sat there, but eventually they both calmed down somewhat, even though Alfred was still seated securely on his lap.

"It's going to be... difficult for us both from now on," Arthur murmured after a while, gently pushing a few strands of Alfred's hair out of his face, where they had stuck to his tear-stained cheeks. "But... we're going to make it."

Alfred looked up at him, and he was amazed at the trust they held as the child nodded slowly, expression unusually serious.

"I hope you can... be patient with me, I'm going to try my best."

"Me too," Alfred murmured in a quiet tone.

Arthur gave a small flicker of a smile, kissing the top of the boy's head before moving to stand, picking the boy up into his arms. Alfred gave a small yawn, making himself comfortable and resting his head in the nook of Arthur's neck before closing his eyes. Soon enough, his breathing grew steady and slow, and Arthur gazed at him warmly before looking back to the grave.

"Good night, love..." he whispered to the stone, as fresh snow started to fall from the evening sky, melting when they touched the flower petals. His eyes filled with determination as he breathed in the scent of Alfred's hair and heard him give a muffled murmur in his sleep. Yes, he would be all right. He had to be, for his own sake, and for Alfred's.

With a final look at the words on the stone, he gave a shaky sigh and turned around, heading back to his life without her.

oOo

_If you could leave a review telling me what you thought of this, that would be much appreciated~ I'll just... head back to reality now and do what I'm supposed to be doing... T_T_


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